In this episode of The Compendium, we unravel the twisted tale of Michael Alig: The Club Kid King Who Killed for Fame. At the height of New York nightlife, Alig built an empire of excess, flamboyance, and infamy, transforming the Limelight nightclub into a hedonistic playground where anything—and everything—was possible. But behind the glitter and glamour lurked a dark undercurrent of drug-fueled chaos, manipulation, and ultimately, murder.

We dive deep into the rise and fall of Michael Alig and the Club Kids, the role of Peter Gatien, the shocking Angel Melendez murder, and how a scene built on rebellion spiraled into true crime history. From the neon-drenched dance floors of the 1990s to the gritty reality of New York crime stories, this is the cautionary tale of a subculture that burned too bright—and paid the ultimate price.

We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:

1. Disco Bloodbath - by James St. James
2. Party Monster (2003) - by Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato
3. Michael Alig - Wipipedia
4. Party Monsters The Shockumentry - by Fenton Bailey
5. Michael Alig and the Limelight Murder - by The Village Voice

• Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
• About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
• Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin

• ⭐ Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
• 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
• 🌐 Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
• ❤️ Early access episodes: Patreon

In this episode of The Compendium, we’re unpacking the Balloon Boy Hoax, the bizarre moment in 2009 when the world was glued to their screens, watching a silver helium balloon soar across the Colorado sky—supposedly with 6-year-old Falcon Heene trapped inside. But as the story unfolded, the truth became far stranger than fiction. Was this a desperate stunt by Richard Heene to land a reality TV deal, or was the media sensationalism machine too eager to turn a family’s crisis into a headline? From viral hysteria to police investigations, we break down how this infamous hoax spiraled out of control.

We give you just The Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:

1. Balloon Boy hoax – Wikipedia
2. What the ‘balloon boy’ hoax revealed about profit-driven news – youtube
3. The Balloon Boy Hoax: Solved! – 5280 Magazine

• Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
• About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
• Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin

• ⭐ Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
• 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
• 🌐 Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
• ❤️ Early access episodes: Patreon

In this episode of the Compendium, we uncover the Millennium Dome Diamond Heist: The Plot to Steal the Worlds Most Flawless Diamond. We follow the trail of a notorious criminal gang featuring Lee Wenham, Ray Betson, William Cockram as Scotland Yard is onto them long before their plan is even executed.

This is a story of bodacious nerve and Brazen balls, it features speedboats, JCB Diggers and even metal ramming spikes mounted on the back of trucks. There is nothing that we love more than a heist story than a heist story carried out by idiots.

We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:

• Millennium Dome - Wikipedia
• Millennium Dome Heist - Wikipedia
• The Millennium Star Diamond - De Beers
• Millennium Heist Documentary - Youtube
• The Diamond Heist - Netflix

• Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
• About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
• Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin

• ⭐ Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
• 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
• 🌐 Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
• ❤️ Early access episodes: Patreon